Ice Maker

ABSTRACT

An ice maker adapted to be mounted a refrigeration appliance comprises an ice-making container ( 14 ) and an ice-releasing system ( 18, 18   a ) for separating the formed ice from the ice-making container. The ice-making container is provided with a substantially water-tight cover ( 16 ) for preventing a water spill when ice is not already formed in the ice-making container.

The present invention relates to an ice maker for a refrigerationappliance. More particularly, it relates to an ice maker comprising aframe adapted to be mounted in the refrigeration appliance, anice-making container supported by the frame, and an ice-releasing systemfor separating the formed ice from the ice-making container.

Ice makers are well known in the technical field of domesticrefrigeration appliances. They are usually installed on a wall of afreezing chamber of the refrigerator (freezer) and therefore they arenot subject to movement which could cause spill of water when ice is notalready formed in the ice-making container or ice tray. This traditionalconstruction has the drawback of requiring means for conveying ice cubesfrom the ice maker in the freezing chamber into a storage container inthe door of the refrigerator where the user can collect ice from theoutside through an ice dispenser. Moreover the traditional location ofice makers requires an automatic water supply device which increases theoverall cost of the appliance. Moreover it is clear that theinstallation in the cavity of the freezer of the ice maker reduces thespace for storing frozen food. No appliance producer has up to nowproposed a mounting of the ice maker in a door of the freezer, mainlybecause the movement of the door during opening and closing thereofcould cause water spill from the ice maker when the ice is not alreadyformed.

An object of the invention is to provide an ice maker of the typementioned at the beginning of the description which can be installedwithin the door of the appliance without any water spill problems.Another object is to provide an ice maker having a low cost since itdoes not need automatic and costly water supply devices. A furtherobject of the present invention is to provide an ice maker which caneasily work either with an automatic or manual drive system for removingice from the ice-making container.

The above objects are reached thanks to the features listed in theappended claims.

The above and other objects and features of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following description of preferred embodimentsof the invention, given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice maker according to a firstembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of the ice maker of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 and shows a variant ofthe ice maker of FIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an ice maker according to a secondembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a partially exploded view of the ice maker of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4 and shows a variant ofthe ice maker of FIG. 4-5;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view along line VII-VII of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 7 and shows the icemaker in a configuration in which the ice is discharged from the icemaker.

With reference to FIG. 1, with 10 is indicated an ice maker having abase 12, an ice-making container 14 and a cover 16. According to theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base 12 contains a drive unit andcan be mounted in a cantilevered way to a wall of a door of the freezercompartment of the refrigerator (not shown). The ice-making container14, which is fixed to the base 12, has an a semi-circular or half mooncross section and is formed of metal or polymeric material. The cover 16has a semi-circular cross section corresponding to the cross section ofthe ice-making container 14, and it is rotatably mounted on theice-making container so that it can assume a first configuration (shownin FIG. 1) where it covers in a water-tight manner the ice-makingcontainer 14, and, by rotation along the arrow R in FIG. 1, a secondconfiguration below the ice-making container 14, so that ice cubes canbe removed from the ice-making container 14. The rotation of the cover16 can be done either manually by the user or it can be driven by thedrive unit in the base 12.

Coaxially with the semi-cylindrical ice-making container 14, it isrotatably mounted an ice releasing lever 18 for releasing ice from theice-making container 14. The ice-releasing lever 18 has one endconnected with the drive unit and the other hand supported by theice-making container 14; it is formed with a plurality of ice releasingarms 18 a spaced apart at a predetermined interval from one another. Thecover 16 is fixed to the lever or auger 18 so that they rotatesimultaneously.

The cover 16 is also provided with a longitudinal slot 16 a which isuseful for loading water in the ice-making container 14 and for allowingcirculation of cold air under the cover 16 for allowing a quickerformation of the ice cubes having a cross section in the form of a halfmoon.

Once the ice-making container 14 has been filled with water, anymovement of the ice maker 10 caused by the movement of the door where itis preferably installed does not cause any spill of water since theinternal surface of the tile-shaped cover 16 is in contact with theedges of the tile-shaped container 14.

Once the ice is formed, the cover 16 is rotated along arrow R, under theice-making container, and the lever 18 is rotated as well in order toremove ice cubes from the container 14. Of course the movement of thelever 18 and of the cover 16 can be made independent one from the otheras well. The cover 16 is intended to house ice tray and provides a sealso that if non-iced water is present when the icemaker is moved, nowater spill occurs.

The shape of the cover 16 ensures that when it rotates, any iceformation due to water sprinkled by movement is removed from thehousing. The ice maker cover 16 is designed so that ice maker can beplaced in areas where it can be subject to movement (for example in thedoor).

In FIG. 3 is shown a modification of the ice maker of FIGS. 1-2, inwhich the movement of the ice-releasing lever 18 is driven manually by aknob 20.

The cylindrical shape of the ice maker according to the embodiment shownin FIGS. 1-3 is particularly useful for a mounting in a reduced space asin a counter-door of a freezer compartment.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 it is shown a second embodiment of the ice makeraccording to the invention. Similar components of such embodiment areindicated with the same reference numerals of the first embodimentincremented by 100. According to FIGS. 4 and 5, the base 112 is integralwith the cover 116 and contains a drive unit 115. The ice-makingcontainer 114 is rotatably mounted below the cover 116 and presents aplurality of half moon shaped cavities 117 for forming ice cubes. Theice-making container 114 is made of flexible material so that it can bewarped in order to cause the detachment of ice cubes. In FIG. 7 it isshown a configuration of the ice maker 110 in which the edges of theice-making container 114, rindicated with reference numerals 114 a, arein a water-tight contact with a cylindrical internal surface 116 b ofthe cover 116. In this configuration, which allows a water loadingthrough the longitudinal slot 116 a, any movement of the ice maker 110does not cause any water spill. The cover 116 is intended to serve assupport for ice maker components and to provide a seal so that if noniced water is present when the icemaker is moved, the water will notcome out of the ice-making container. The shape of the cover 116 ensuresthat when the ice tray rotates, any ice formation due to water sprinkledby movement is removed from the housing. In FIG. 8 it is shown a secondconfiguration of the ice maker 110 in which the drive unit 115 hascaused a predetermined rotation of the ice-making container 114. In thisconfiguration an end of the container 114 opposite to the drive unitabuts a corresponding end portions of the cover 116 so that any furtherrotation of the drive unit 115 causes a warp or twist of the ice-makingcontainer as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 8. This warping of thecontainer causes the fall of ice cubes from the ice-making container114.

Instead of having a drive unit, the ice maker 110 according to thesecond embodiment of the invention can also have a knob 120 (FIG. 6) forrotating the ice-making container and warping it in order to dischargeice cubes.

The realization of the ice maker according to the invention is flexibleenough to provide fixation points to be placed anywhere inside arefrigerated compartment or to be part of a sub-assembly in order tofacilitate fixation.

1-10. (canceled)
 11. An ice maker adapted to be mounted a refrigerationappliance, comprising an ice-making container and an ice-releasingsystem for separating the formed ice from the ice-making container, theice-making container having a substantially water-tight cover forpreventing a water spill when ice is not already formed in theice-making container.
 12. The ice maker according to claim 11,comprising an ice-making container and cover having semicircular crosssections and the cover is adapted to assume by rotation a closedconfiguration in which the ice-making container and the cover form acylindrical assembly, and an open configuration in which the cover issubstantially under the ice-making container.
 13. The ice makeraccording to claim 12, wherein the cover has an aperture for loadingwater in the ice-making container while in the close configuration ofthe ice maker.
 14. The ice maker according to claim 12, wherein theice-releasing system has an ice release lever adapted to rotate togetherwith the cover.
 15. The ice maker according to claim 13, furthercomprising a drive unit for providing power for driving the ice releaselever and/or for driving the rotating cover.
 16. The ice maker accordingto claim 14, wherein the ice release lever has a knob-shaped end formanually rotating the lever.
 17. The ice maker according to claim 11,wherein the ice releasing system has a movable and deformable ice-makingcontainer.
 18. The ice maker according to claim 17, further comprising adrive unit for providing power for driving of the ice-making container.19. The ice maker according to claim 17, further comprising a movableand deformable ice-making container adapted to be rotated manually. 20.The ice maker according to claim 17, wherein the ice-making containercan be rotated between a first horizontal position and a second positionin which one end of the container abuts a corresponding portion of asupporting frame and the other end is driven by a predetermined torqueso that the ice-making container undergoes a predetermined degree ofwarping.
 21. The ice maker according to claim 11, wherein the ice-makingcontainer can be rotated between a first horizontal position and asecond position in which one end of the container abuts a correspondingportion of a supporting frame and the other end is driven by apredetermined torque so that the ice-making container undergoes apredetermined degree of warping.